Prosthetic devices are commonly used to replace or repair native heart valves that have become inefficient due to age, disease, or congenital reasons. Valve insufficiency, for example, is characterized by a loose or elastic valve structure. This often results in regurgitation wherein the valve leaflets fail to close property (“coapt”) and guard against backflow of blood.
Transvascular techniques have enabled physicians to access the mitral and other valves for repair without open-heart surgery. Valves or annuloplasty rings may be delivered to the site of the valve by catheter and expanded once properly positioned.
A physician may have difficulty precisely positioning prosthetic devices between the mitral valve leaflets—especially when the mitral valve is insufficient. The prosthetic devices may slip upon expansion within the relatively elastic annulus of the insufficient mitral valve.
A physician may provide support for the annular ring of the valve during implantation to compensate for mitral valve insufficiency. But, positioning of such support devices in a safe and minimally invasive manner is technically challenging. For example, the chordae tendinae attached to the mitral valve leaflets can interfere with efforts to support the valve or its annulus.
It is therefore desirable to provide improved systems and methods for supporting replacement valves, especially replacement valves implanted with minimally invasive procedures.